Dragonball Q
by Darkfire1
Summary: Ch9 up! Q drops a young Ensign from U.S.S. Voyager into the Mirai timeline and leaves her there for twenty years. R&R please!
1. Return

Disclaimer: Only the plot and three of the characters are mine, and those three are these:  
Rose Lynn Palmer-Briefs  
Benjamin Briefs  
Darijan  
All the rest of the Star Trek universe belongs to Paramount and all the rest of the Dragonball Z universe belongs to Akira Toriyama and Funimation  
  
A/N: This is the start of my revision of this fic. I'm adding a lot of descriptive stuff and making sure that I'm not contradicting myself. If you spot any mistakes in the story, please tell me, but I will studiously ignore any flaming about my story not following one or both of the original stories. This is my fic and the plot will go the way *I* want it to.  
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CHAPTER 1: RETURN  
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Rose ran as fast as she could, knowing in her gut that if they caught her it would be the end. The forest was thick here, making running difficult, but it was more so for the bulky cretin and his followers than for her. She knew these woods well, and she knew of a few good hiding places. She turned her head slightly and saw through her peripheral vision that they were still too close for her to make a break for any of those hidden spots. She would be seen.  
  
She was really too close for comfort to the cliffs that she knew were near. If she didn't watch where she was going, she might have too much momentum to stop herself when she reached them. Ah! There was the edge. She turned sharply behind a tree and shimmied up the trunk like a squirrel. Maybe that would throw them off. She was just about to make a flying leap to the branches of the next tree when a bright, diamond-shaped flash of light right in front of her caused her to stop. Q! No! But there was nothing she could do to stop him. Her world dematerialized, and when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the forest. She was back on Voyager and she was back in the uniform she hadn't worn for nearly twenty years.  
  
Q had put her in the corridor just outside Sickbay. That was probably a good thing, because as just what she'd lost sunk in, grief overtook her and she collapsed.  
xxx  
  
The Doctor was becoming as annoyed as it was possible for a computer program to become. "Captain, you really must come in for your annual checkup! Being in the Delta Quadrant is no excuse for you to neglect your health!"  
  
Captain Katherine Janeway smiled at the Doctor's persistence. She really had every intention of getting that check up, but she had had other things to worry about. And anyway, it was fun to watch him squirm a little when they weren't in a life or death situation. He was so stuffy!  
  
As they rounded the corner, Janeway was about to relent when she saw a female figure with long wavy red hair and a security uniform crumpled in the floor of the corridor. Both the captain and the Doctor ran to her side. She was crying, weeping in great, uncontrollable sobs that were never the less silent. She had almost stopped breathing because of them, unable to draw breath because of the constriction of her diaphragm.  
  
She and the Doctor picked her up and took her inside Sickbay, laying her down on one of the cots. He grabbed a hypospray from the first aid kit, one filled with a sedative. She stopped weeping and passed into unconsciousness, though tears continued to flow down her cheeks for a while.  
  
As the Doctor scanned her to find out if her fit'd had a medical reason, Janeway asked the computer who she was. "Ensign Rose Lynn Palmer, Security."  
  
His scans complete, the Doctor found a mystery. "Captain, her memory angram count is up by 87% from her last scan! It's like she was stuffed with memories, or she lived twenty years somewhere, but came back without much time passing."  
  
Janeway decided to start eliminating possibilities. "Janeway to Bridge."  
  
Chakotay answered, "Yes, Captain?"  
  
"I need you to scan the ship and the surrounding area for temporal anomalies, and see if there are any ships on long range sensors."  
  
"Aye, Captain. Anything in particular we're looking for?"  
  
"I don't know yet. Keep me posted. Janeway out." She turned to the EMH. "How long before she wakes up?"  
  
"About an hour."  
  
"All right. I'll be in my ready room. Tell me when she's up and I'll come back down." The Doctor nodded and she left the room, her face troubled as she wondered what new crisis she and her crew were about to have to face.  
xxx  
  
Rose slowly opened her emerald eyes. Where was she? She automatically looked around for her husband. She knew that he had gone to train with their son, but she thought he might be back by now. But as she recognized the room she was in as Sickbay, the memories all came flooding back, coming home to an empty house, Darijan showing up on the front steps, the race through the woods to escape him, and Q popping out of nowhere, bringing her back to the ship that she had once called home. For a moment, the grief took her again, but this time she was able to control it, just letting the tears fall and not allowing her breathing to join in the expression of her emotions. Her husband had taught her that trick, along with so many other things.  
  
She sat up on the cot, drawing the Doctor's attention. He came over, smiling at first, but when he noticed the tears streaking her elvin face, his expression turned to one of concern. "Ensign Palmer, what is it? We found you in the corridor crying so hard you stopped breathing, and your scans showed that twenty years worth of memories have been added to your mind."  
  
She snorted lightly. "Almost to the day. That anniversary would have been tomorrow." She sighed. "You'd better call the Captain before I answer that question. If I have to repeat myself, I'll shoot something, and at the moment, I don't particularly care what."  
xxx  
  
"Sickbay to the Captain."  
  
Janeway looked up from the reports. No anomalies in or around the ship an no other ships in sensor range. This mystery was already deepening, and she didn't like the plot so far. "Go ahead, Doctor."  
  
"Ensign Palmer is awake, and she'd like to speak with you."  
  
"I'm on my way." Time to get a few answers.  
xxx  
  
She walked into the Sickbay, and saw the girl sitting up on the medical cot. She had obviously been crying again, but she was calm at the moment, her eyes red, but dry, and her face not the intense mask of grief that it had been earlier, even though the emotion was still plain on her face.  
  
Palmer said, "Hello, Captain. It's good to see you again. I know we've never been very close, but I've still missed you over the years."  
  
Janeway simply nodded. She was definitely older than her physical age. She seemed more like a woman in her mid forties than twenties, lending substance to the Doctor's diagnosis.  
  
"The Doctor told me that all you know is that I have too many memories in my head. Well to tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind forgetting a few things, but as a whole those memories have been happy ones." She paused. "Captain, you might want to pull up a chair. This is going to take a while."  
xxx 


	2. Flashback, Part 1

Disclaimer: They're not mine, and they're not making me any money, so suing me is useless.  
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CHAPTER 2: FLASHBACK PART 1  
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Rose took a deep breath as her captain found a chair in the office and pulled it close to the cot. This was a long story, and telling it was going to hurt. But, while she hadn't thought of it in years, she was a Starfleet officer, and she knew it was her duty to report strange incidents. Report them fully.  
  
As the captain sat down, Rose took another deep breath and began. "I guess here it started yesterday. I had just finished my shift at the duty station and I was headed down to the mess hall for a bit of something to eat. I was stopped in the corridor by an old friend of yours." She looked at Janeway with a bit of mischief in her eyes for the description.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Q."  
  
A look of angered comprehension crossed her face. Things suddenly made both more and less sense than they had. "I see. Go on."  
  
"Well he didn't waste any time in preamble. He just pointed at me and suddenly I was somewhere else." As she told her story, her mind drifted back, allowing her to relive the events again. Not all of those memories were a part of what she told her captain. Some were just too personal. But her report was complete.  
xxx  
  
Rose had wakened in the middle of a recent battle ground. All around her there were the remains of buildings and humans, scattered like the toys of a spoiled child. She moved through the ruined city, taking care where she put her feet as much of the ground seemed unstable. There didn't seem to be any pattern in the destruction. As she found a small toy, a little stuffed rabbit, and picked it up out of the concrete dust, she wondered with sorrow who or what could have done this.  
  
She just kept walking, moving out of the city. The countryside didn't seem affected by the force that had destroyed the urban center, but there weren't any people out, either. They were probably hiding.  
  
She had walked for hours before coming upon a small community of perhaps three hundred. She had given them the story that she had amnesia, and they had taken her in, giving her food, water, and news. And what news it had been. For fourteen years, a couple of androids ("Not like Data, mind you. Closer to a cross between the Borg and a couple of spoiled, bored teenagers.") had been terrorizing the planet, destroying cities mostly, and apparently for the shear hell of it. They could fly under their own power, had the strength to be able to plow through buildings in flight and take absolutely no damage, and could fire blasts of energy, like phaser shots from a starship, from the palms of their hands. Seventy of the world's major cities had been destroyed completely and quite a smattering of smaller ones. They didn't seem interested in anything under a thousand people, so such places were relatively safe, but that wasn't always a guarantee. The people had to be constantly on guard, and even if they had any warning, all they could do was run away, and even that was no guarantee of survival.  
  
Rose had taken it upon herself to help out wherever she could by designing underground shelters. After all, there was no telling how long Q was going to leave her here, and he had never contacted her, never told her what was going on. The shelters had good designs and well hidden, especially from the air. They were usually built in places that had already been ruined, providing camouflage, and put the entrances in old buildings. For two years, she helped with the building of shelters, and some even went inside active cities as a fail-safe. She actually saw the androids on more than one occasion, and always counted herself lucky to escape alive. The twins never even saw her, and that was for good reason.  
  
The last time she had seen them, she had been in one of the cities, going over the plans for a new shelter with the city's building manager. They had flown in and started blowing things sky high. Rose had had the sense to duck out of their sight, but she knew that wasn't going to be protection for long. Luckily they seemed to be going in the other direction. She was horrified to watch them, but she couldn't take her eyes away, fascinated despite herself. They were just about to take down another group of buildings when another blast came from the opposite direction. It smashed into the male android, causing him to crash backward into the building he had been aiming at.  
  
Rose looked up, her gaze following the trajectory of the blast back to it's source, another figure in the sky. He was a young man, probably eighteen, wearing a wife beater and loose fitting gray pants. He seemed to be glowing, his golden blonde hair thrown straight up in the air by some wind or other, and his posture in the air was aggressive. He could fly, just like the androids, but he was obviously not their friend.  
  
Rose watched the battle that ensued with utter fascination. The intensity of the fight got to where she couldn't follow it at times, but what she did see was amazing! In her training at Starfleet Academy, she had come across hundreds of different fighting disciplines, at least forty percent of which had originated on Earth. What the boy was doing seemed to be an amalgamation of many of those techniques, especially the ones from the far east and the Orient, all adapted to fighting in the air. There was also a fair amount of improvisation in his technique, making his a truly unique style. Most importantly, however, he had the speed and power to more than match the androids. They fell to his hands within an hour.  
  
As the last bits and pieces from the exploding android fell to the ground, their destroyer began to land. The glow that had surrounded his form throughout the fight faded and his hair lightened to a surprising lavender, his eyes changing from the sea green that they'd held to a piercing ice blue. He was breathing heavily, but he didn't seem to be in any kind of distress.  
  
Rose wanted to make sure that this wasn't another threat. After two years in this world filled with terror, she wasn't about to take anything for granted. However, she really wanted this to be a friend. She was tired of having to build places for people to hide. Her knowledge of Federation technology would be better used in helping to rebuild the cities.  
  
She decided to find out for herself. She moved stealthily among the debris toward the young man, hoping to get some indication of his intentions before she reached his position, something that would tell her how to handle him.  
  
She was so intent on being silent that she forgot to be careful. The debris covered many pitfalls of various types, potholes made in the battle, ruptured water mains, basements, and the like. It was one of those last that she found, covered by a brittle and fragile wall that could not support her weight. It crumbled beneath her feet, and she fell, letting out a shriek that echoed through the artificial canyon of the ruined city.  
xxx  
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A/N: Ah, am I not evil? Wonderful little clif-hanger, except that it IS a flash back and... Oh well. R&R please. If I messed up anything in the fight, let me know. I don't have access to that episode since my father forgot to turn the VCR on for me that night. (grrr...) Please also remember that this is in revision. I need to know of any mistakes. 


	3. Flashback, Part 2

Disclaimer: Am turnip. See? No blood. No owning of stories either.  
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CHAPTER 3: FLASHBACK, PART 2  
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Rose felt someone grab her arm as she fell, halting her downward progress gently by changing direction. It was the boy. He set her down on more stable ground just outside and then landed beside her. "Are you all right?" His voice was a husky tenor, full of concern for the stranger he had just prevented from dying. She somehow instinctively trusted that concern, that it was genuine. That meant he was indeed a friend to this world. Well she HAD been looking for confirmation.  
  
She nodded. "Nothing seems to be missing. Thanks."  
  
"Good. You should probably get out of here. This place could fall apart any minute." He levitated into the air, preparatory to flying out himself.  
  
"Wait! Let me come with you." She didn't know why she'd said that, but she meant it. He looked a bit surprised. "Please! I have nothing here, and I need to get to the nearest Capsule Corporation building. I have to get the rebuilding started, and I'll need supplies."  
  
The boy shrugged and picked her up, holding her in his arms like an infant as she put her arms around his neck for balance. White flame that wasn't hot enveloped them both and he took off like a shot. It was invigorating, and the view once they got out of the ruined city was breath taking! She decided that once the rebuilding was well under way, she'd see if this kind of flight was possible for a normal person. Not for the first time, though certainly for different reasons than before, her hands itched to have a tricorder in them. How did he do it?  
  
The flight didn't last too long. They landed in front of a slightly dilapidated dome building. A woman with blue hair came running out as he put her down. "Trunks! Did you do it? Are they gone?"  
  
He nodded and smiled at her, a relieved smile with just a hint of pride in it. "Nothing but scrap. We don't have to worry about them ever again. Master Gohan and the others can rest in peace now."  
  
They decided to celebrate that night instead of going over Rose's plans for how to organize the rebuilding efforts. Bulma brought out a couple bottles of wine that she had been saving since before an old friend of hers named Goku had died of a heart virus and all of the boxes of picture albums that were lovingly stored in the lab's basement. The memories flowed with the wine, and by the time they were all thoroughly drunk, Rose felt that she knew them and their lost family and friends just as well as they did. Having never drunk anything stronger that synthahol wines, she was the first to pass out.  
xxx  
  
She had awakened in a strange bed, and it took her a moment to remember where she was through the thick pain in her head. She thought, *Well, I've done stupider things than drink myself senseless before starting a major project, but at the moment I can't think of any.*  
  
She threw off the thick cover that one of her hosts had put over her the night before and headed for the wash room she saw at the back. She went in and turned on the cold water in the shower, thrusting her head under it to ease the hangover. She decided not to take a full shower, taking a rag out of the cupboard and scrubbing herself by hand. It was about this time that she realized that she had no clothes to change into. She was far taller than her blue-haired hostess, but maybe Bulma had something she could wear. She hated to put the dirty clothes from the previous night back on.  
  
Not expecting anyone to be in her room, she walked back into it with nothing but a towel on. Trunks was there, some loose garments draped over his arm. He was surprised to see her and he flushed furiously as he noticed her state of undress. She was a little embarrassed herself, but she saw him looking her over. Grinning, she said, "Were you planning on staying?" The young Saiyan came to himself, and blushing even more, he stammered out a negative and left. She giggled as the door shut behind him. She admitted some attraction to him, to herself, but he was only eighteen, nineteen at the most, while she was twenty-five. She didn't think she would ever want to pursue a relationship with someone that much younger than herself.  
  
Rose got dressed in the clothes Trunks had left for her, a white tee shirt and blue pants that looked like they were meant to fight in. They were loose enough that the fact that they were designed for a man didn't make much difference. It seemed that Bulma had solved the clothing problem by raiding her son's wardrobe.  
  
She went down stairs and ate breakfast with the Briefs family. As she was still feeling slightly queasy, she only ate dry toast and some fruit, and she tried to avoid watching Trunks eat. She'd never seen such an appetite!  
  
Later, they all three started working on the designs that Rose'd had in her head ever since she'd been building shelters. They utilized a lot of Federation technology, things that Rose had learned at the Academy when she had considered becoming an engineer, but Bulma had no problem figuring out the designs and was even able to improve on several of them.  
  
Rose became one of Capsule Corporation's top consultants, both in security and design. Often, Bulma would take the Federation designs and tweak them until they were not only more efficient, but smaller and more streamlined as well. She wasn't worried about the Prime Directive. Bulma never had any trouble understanding any of the concepts and more than once, she'd thought that B'Elanna Torres would have truly enjoyed having such an innovative and flexible mind to work with on Voyager. After all, the woman had built an interdimensional time machine without any recourse to the warp engine, a form of technology which had hot yet been discovered here. She had designs for a spherical impulse-driven ship, but there was nothing on the planet faster than full impulse. So as long as she didn't mention anything about the warp engine beyond the very basic scientific principles behind it, she was not violating that directive.  
  
For six months, the cities rebuilt themselves at a furious pace. Rose had been amazed at the resilience of the people. The grief and pain of loss were still thick in the air, but they were lessening now that the constant fear was gone.  
  
Trunks made one more trip in his time machine after facing off with one more monster, something called Cell, and when he returned, he usually stuck to training in his gravity room. Bulma often muttered about that, comparing him unfavorably with his long dead father.  
  
Rose found herself at loose ends after a while. Her engineering skills and knowledge of Federation technology were no longer really needed once the cities were back on track, and her skills as a security guard weren't in demand either. Bored on day, she wandered off to where Trunks was training. He was outside that day, training in the air above an open clearing, so she didn't think he'd take it amiss if she observed. She watched him closely as he kicked and punched at nothing, trying to figure out his style.  
  
After watching for an hour, she began to emulate his movements on the ground, slowly and with deliberation. She found the rhythm of the exercise and started picking up the tempo gradually through each repetition until she was moving with about a tenth of his speed, and for a woman who couldn't even fly that was amazing, though she didn't know it at the time. She had been concentrating so hard that she didn't even notice when he joined her in the dance, giving her a solid target instead of the imaginary one. She became conscious of him toward the end as he changed the rhythm to challenge her, but only as a target. He stayed at the pace she had set and he never once managed to land a punch or a kick. If he had used any of his full power, of course, he would have easily flattened her, but he was a Saiyan and she was not. Finally, at one point, she managed to surprise him by completely changing styles, using some moves she had gotten from B'Elanna in a training exercise. Instead of following the graceful movements of the dance- like style that he had been using, the more aggressive Klingon moves were meant to cut down the defenses of a cunning and worthy adversary, and do it quickly.  
  
In short, she tackled him like a linebacker after a quarterback. The lay of the land caused them to roll a bit, but she still ended up on top of him, straddling his chest and pinning his arms above his head. Stopping the motions broke the spell of the fight and she was once again fully conscious of the world around her. As well as the positions they were in. She looked into his face, his intense sapphire eyes boring straight back at her. The heat of the battle seemed to be transferring itself to other places in their minds and bodies, and adrenaline started mixing with other chemicals in their blood.  
xxx  
  
A/N: I know, leaving it at this point is cruel, but you'll just have to wait for the next chapter. This has been revised. Please tell me if you have found any mistakes. 


	4. Flashback, Part 3

Disclaimer: Not even Saiyans can squeeze blood out of a turnip. I'm not making any money here. Please don't sue. (Vegeta said, "And why would I want a turnip?")  
  
WARNING : LEMON  
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CHAPTER 4: FLASHBACK, PART 3  
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Rose felt the blood rushing to her ears. At this proximity, her resolve to not seek a relationship with a person who was so much younger than she was quickly slipping. Trunks was not simply a boy. He had saved the world with his strength, and in the process of gaining it he had grown up. His fighter's build was honed by constant training, and just then covered in sweat, making him shine where the dappled sunlight hit his features. He was kind to everyone he met, and sometimes, when he thought no one else was around, he would cry after having to pull bodies out of the piles of rubble in the cities. He had heart and soul, and she had found herself very attracted to them.  
  
Trunks' face was not only surprised, but he was becoming just as aroused as she was. She could feel his reaction growing. He loosed his hands from her grasp and sat up, causing her to slide down into his lap. She could feel him hardening beneath her as he grasped her shoulders, pinning her arms to her sides and reaching up to kiss her with a gentleness that surprised her. It was almost a question, a request for permission. She answered him by breaking the hold he had on her arms and flinging them around his waist, sliding her hands up under his shirt and caressing his backbone. She returned the kiss with a passion that matched her sudden need.  
  
Rose worked her hands around under his shirt until she was able to pull it over his head and fling it away. He reached for her own clothing, and began removing it with little grace. She realized that he had had no practice at this sort of thing, and helped him along, removing the bra herself when he couldn't work the catches and was about to rip them off. He started nibbling at her, first at her navel then working his way up to the valley between her breasts, causing her to shiver. His hands found their way around the lower half of her body, the left stopping at her buttocks and the right at her womanhood, stroking her and causing a moan to escape her lips. She hung on to his head as he continued moving until his hardness was just beneath her, touching, but not entering her opening. She flung her legs around his hips as he flipped her over onto her back, moving her hand to caress his member, causing him to gasp in pleasure. He shifted and moved inside her, shock plain on his face as he broke through her barrier. The pain didn't last long, and Trunks had the kindness and control to simply wait inside her for it to pass. "Why," was all he could manage to say.  
  
"Because I wanted to." She arched her back to meet him, her signal that she was ready. He moaned and began thrusting deeply into her, making a purring sound deep in his chest that seemed to vibrate the very earth. She clung to him and moved with him, matching his pace with little difficulty. As with the dancing movements of their fight, they were perfectly synchronized, completely matching each other until one of them turned the tables with a surprise. This time it was Trunks, biting into the soft flesh of her neck hard enough to draw blood. He kept beating into her, suckling from her neck and causing waves of pain and pleasure in his lover. Finally they climaxed together, and he spilled himself within her. They crashed together and just lay there for a moment, breathing heavily and fully exhausted. She fell asleep in his arms, fully trusting that nothing would harm her in his presence.  
xxx  
  
Rose woke to a deep pair of blue eyes and smiled as the memory hit her. "Trunks," she whispered.  
  
He smiled at her tenderly. Had he been awake the whole time? "Rose. I'm sorry." Her brow creased in confusion until he gently touched the crescent shaped wound on her neck. "I didn't mean to. I'm guessing it's a Saiyan thing since Mom has one just like it."  
  
She smiled up at him. "Don't worry about it." Suddenly remembering something, she grinned and moved her hand to the small of his back and the rough spot just above his butt. "What is that?"  
  
He smirked. "Saiyans are born with a tail, prehensile, like that of a monkey."  
  
She arched an eyebrow at him, her imagination having fun with that thought. "Why'd you loose it?"  
  
He shrugged. "Mom had it removed when I was a baby. Saiyans with tails can be very dangerous, and not necessarily on purpose." He told her everything he knew about the Saiyan race, most of it second hand from his mother and his dead mentor, Gohan. A fifty- foot ape monster, huh? Well that was interesting, and not a little frightening, but at least she would never have to deal with it.  
  
As he had given her the gift of knowledge, she gave him the gift of her past. He sat there enthralled by her stories of both the Alpha and Delta Quadrants, of the Academy and of her life on Voyager. He seemed most interested in her Academy days, when she switched from engineering against her father's wishes to security training because it was far more exciting to her. "I never told anyone here about any of this, because I wasn't sure of how it would be received. But you deserved to know." She leaned over and kissed him on the side of his mouth. "I think I love you, Trunks Briefs."  
  
He moved on top of her and kissed her back passionately. As they broke for air, he said, "I'm certain of it. And I love you, too."  
xxx  
  
They got dressed, but they didn't leave the clearing. The sun had begun to set and they decided with unspoken accord to stay there and watch it until it started getting dark. Then Trunks picked her up like he had at their first meeting and he flew them home.  
  
Rose had been living at Capsule Corp. for some months, Bulma having offered her one of the old guest bedrooms after learning that she had been living out of a capsule car. Trunks flew in the window to that room, which some instinct had told her to leave open that day, and set her down on her bed, stepping away and looking at her oddly as some strange thought crossed his mind. "What?"  
  
"Why did you wait?"  
  
She sighed. He still seemed to feel guilty about taking her virginity, even though it had been she who seduced him. "I've never felt the need, Trunks. No one has ever been able to arouse me like you do. You've broken through more than one kind of barrier today. I never felt like this before."  
  
He finally relaxed, sure now that he had committed no offense. He kissed her forehead and left the room, using the door this time. She sighed as he left. The room just seemed empty without him in it now. She went into the washroom and turned on the shower, letting it heat up as she undressed. She looked in the mirror and the bite mark Trunks had unintentionally left on her neck. It really didn't look bad at all. In fact, she kind of hoped that it wouldn't fade. It would be a reminder.  
  
Clean and dressed in a nightgown, Rose climbed into her bed and lay there for a while staring out her open window at the stars. She often did that, wondering if somewhere out there, Voyager was searching for her even after two and a half years, but that night they were simply a background to her thoughts. She knew she had fallen, head first. But was that a bad thing? After all he returned her feelings, and his age no longer mattered to her. She wanted this to last forever.  
  
As she drifted off to sleep, her last memory was of that last kiss. And how empty the bed seemed just then.  
xxx  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Bulma spotted the mark through her falling cascade of red hair. She frowned for a moment, then sighed. "I guess I need to talk to you two. There are certain facts of Saiyan life that neither of you know." Her hand moved to the mark on her own neck. "Vegeta told me these things long ago, and I should have warned you before this, Trunks, but it was too painful to talk about." Remembered pain flashed across the blue-haired woman's face.  
  
A look of "What have I done?" crossed Trunks' face. "What is it, Mom?"  
  
She sighed again and said, "When Saiyans mate, it's for life. Once you've marked her, you can't go back. It would kill you both. Not even death can truly break the bond, which is a good thing or I wouldn't be here, but if the bond IS broken from the outside, it means death for both mates. Frieza used to do it to people using his pet telepath, back before he destroyed Planet Vegeta. The pain was excrutiating.  
  
"Fortunately, that's not going to be a problem here. What might be is that if either of you had any notion of ever moving on to someone else, you now can't. The bond will take hold fast. I hope you two were feeling something more than just heat, because that thing's not coming off."  
  
Rose was shocked, but not disappointed. Scared shitless, maybe. She looked at Trunks and realized that the guilt she had managed to dispel last night had returned ten fold. "Trunks."  
  
He turned to her, tears in his eyes. Gods, that hurt her! He opened his mouth, and she knew what was about to come out of it. She shook her head, silencing him. "Don't say you're sorry, Trunks. 'Cause I'm not. What I said last night still stands." Bulma left the room to give them privacy.  
  
He said, "I didn't want to force you into a lifetime relationship! I've wanted you since I caught you falling down that hole, but I wanted you completely willing."  
  
She walked to him with a sad little smile and sat sidesaddle in his lap. "Don't you realize it yet, love?" She kissed his cheek, taking the salty tear with her. "That's exactly what you have. You couldn't have bonded me unless we both wanted it. I'm sure of that." *Not that I have any idea why I'm so sure,* she thought. "I know the difference between lust and love, and I would never settle for the one without the other. And I haven't, have I, Trunks." It was not a question.  
  
He smiled up at her, and she grinned back at him glad that he had figured it out. They had always made a good team, finishing eachother's thoughts without noticing it. She was just glad that her own ideas about age in a relationship had been trashed before they'd had a chance to interfere.  
  
Trunks was still hungry, of course, so he reached around her to stab his fork into some of the sausage on his plate. Playfully, she nipped a bite of it off as it passed her. Trunks shipped the rest out of her reach, stuffing the whole thing in his mouth and chewing it up. As he swallowed to clear his mouth, she hopped off his lap and snatched the plate off the table, running to the other side of the room with a grin of sheer mischief on her face.  
  
His own grin answered hers. "Give it back, shorty!" She was only two inches shorter than he, but the playful insult had the desired efect of getting her worked up.  
  
"Or you'll do what?"  
  
He grinned evilly and said, "Oh, I'm sure I could think of something." He powered up just a little and flashed across the room, stopping right in front of Rose and startling her into dropping the plate. He caught it easily and without dumping any of it's contents into the floor. Then he set it on the counter and started tickling her sides, sending her into a giggling fit.  
  
"Stop it!" she yelled through the laughter, not really meaning it. He knew that and grinned even more. Seeking retribution, she reached around him and cupped the stump of his tail in her hand, making him gasp and arch. She kept that hand there, rubbing, and sent the other to his manhood, causing an instant reaction with the double caress. Hardening, he grabbed for her waistband and thrust his right hand inside them putting two of his fingers inside her, teasing her channel until she whimpered, amazed at how easily he could do that to her. He removed the digits and ran his now-wet hand up her abdomen and under her shirt. She got enough control back to lean close to his ear and whisper, "Not here." Bulma wouldn't appreciate having her kitchen counter used in that manner.  
  
Trunks nodded and sighed, picking her up and carrying her off to his room, continually nibbling at her neck as they went, causing more giggles. He took her inside the room, which looked like a normal bachelor's pad in it's disarray, and laid her down on his bed. He crawled on top of her, running his hands all over her and finding all of her most sensitive spots. She grabbed his stump again, earning a buck and a groan from him. She fondled the spot teasingly as Trunks started kissing her with a passion fit to drive them both over the edge. He entered her and set an easy pace, still setting her on fire as he managed to hit the perfect spot with every thrust. She moved with him, easily synching with him again.  
  
This time the urge came on HER to mark HIM. As she bit into the flesh of his neck, tasting his sweet blood in her mouth, he growled in pleasure and he bit her back, reopening the same wound, She felt a dam break somewhere in her mind, and as he climaxed with her and erupted into her, she felt both of their pleasures, felt his overwhelming need of and love for her, and knew that he felt the same thing from her.  
  
They fell together, and he withdrew from her body, laying on the bed beside her and exploring her mind with wonder. She did the same, flipping through the book of his memories with wonder and amazement. There were several that she nearly burst into tears upon seeing them, but he held her close, comforting her and silently assuring her that he was well over the effects of them. The worst one was the death of Gohan, the strong and gentle man who had initially trained him. Seeing him face down in a huge puddle of water had nearly driven the young Saiyan mad, and it had driven him to his transformation, Gohan's final sacrifice helping his pupil to achieve what he hadn't been able to do before. Gohan had obviously loved the boy, and the reverse was also true. He'd loved him like the father he'd never known until later. That death was the kingpin to everything that happened later, causing her to wonder what would have happened if he'd survived.  
  
Trunks smiled sadly. "I wonder that myself, sometimes." Then he kissed her on her temple. "Even with a time machine, I can't change the past. But the future is ours to write." She smiled back at him and they lay there for an hour, just listening to eachother's thoughts.  
xxx 


	5. Flashback, Part 4

Disclaimer: I don't own them, they just came over to play!  
  
WARNING: LEMON  
______________________________  
CHAPTER 5: FLASHBACK PART 4  
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They were married on the first anniversary of the destruction of the androids, since it was also the anniversary of their meeting, in the same city and the same square. A huge pavilion had been set up to accommodate the hundreds of people who wanted to use it as an excuse to celebrate both the marriage and their freedom from fear.  
  
As Bulma and the wedding coordinator argued about the final placement of the cake just hours before the wedding was due to take place ("You are NOT putting it next to the fountain where it can get SPLASHED!") Rose was trying to convince the politicians that her wedding wasn't the place for a rally. The media were out in force, and Trunks was trying unsuccessfully to get them to leave and both of them were about ready to take off to the mountains somewhere and elope.  
  
Finally, Trunks just decided to take a page out of his father's book and powered up to Super Saiyan. Privately, Rose thought he looked great like that, especially in his wedding tuxedo, but she wasn't about to let him blast the reporters or the important political guests just because he was pissed off. She pushed past his anger and put a warning in his mind. *You'd better not, Trunks, or there isn't going to BE a wedding night!*  
  
He grinned. *Don't worry. I'm just going to scare them.*  
  
She snorted and turned to watch. The reporters had all become very quiet. They all knew that this was how he had looked while fighting the androids as Rose hadn't been the only one to see the battle and still escape the city. One industrious photographer had even managed to get him on tape during some of the slower exchanges. He just stood there, his fiery aura surrounding him and flaring around him, his teal eyes snapping and his golden hair standing out in spikes. He had allowed it to grow long again, as long as it had been during the Cell Games and unbound. He made such an impressive figure that no one in the room made a sound.  
  
Bulma looked worried and was about to head over there, but Rose caught her eye and winked. The older woman choked a bit, stifling a giggle. Trunks spoke normally, but everyone in the room could hear him. "This day belongs to me and my wife! the rest of you are here as witnesses and as a courtesy, and that does NOT give you the right to harass us! If you continue, you will either leave or you will face the consequences." And with that he powered down and stalked off toward his mate, leaving the crowd buzzing.  
  
Bulma grinned at her son. "You learned more than one thing from your father, didn't you?"  
  
He chuckled. "They were just getting too pushy."  
  
Rose hugged him and said, "Well, I have to go get ready now. I'll see you later, love." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, then turned to head toward the dressing room, Bulma following her to help.  
  
They were all suddenly stopped by the appearance of two men in the room, two men with extremely large power levels and very familiar faces. Bulma cried out, "Goku?"  
  
Trunks said, "Gohan? How-?"  
  
Goku had a huge smile on his face, and so did Gohan, who was still missing his left arm. Goku said, "They're letting us come back for just one day. We've both got some credit up there since we've both saved the planet at least once, and we realized that you don't have either a best man or someone to play father of the bride, so we thought that this would be the best day to come!"  
  
Gohan grinned. "You didn't think I'd miss your wedding day, did you little brother?"  
  
Trunks started laughing and embraced his master and friend. Bulma had raced over to Goku and was hugging him fit to crush him. Rose just stood there, laughing her head off for a moment. Then she walked over to them and, grinning from ear to ear, said, "I'll have to have you two put into tuxes. You can't be a part of the ceremony in those clothes."  
  
Goku rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, we came prepared." He pulled a capsule out of his gi and activated it. Two dress bags appeared and the dead Saiyan picked them up by their hangers. "Where do we change?" Rose got an usher to show the two haloed men into the dressing rooms and then headed to the other side of them herself. Bulma hugged her son quickly and followed her.  
  
Three hours later, the ceremony began. Goku stood with Rose at the entrance to the chapel, being happy to stand in as father of the bride. She decided that he didn't look bad in the tux. As they walked slowly down the aisle, she said to Goku, "I wish I could have known you two when you were alive, but I'm glad you're here now."  
  
"Sure! Listen, I know you probably have a few questions, so ask me during the reception, okay?" She nodded, knowing that he was talking about the mark.  
  
Then she turned her attention to the ceremony and to the man standing at the end of the aisle. He looked wonderful. His eyes seemed frozen as he looked at her, and he asked into her mind, *How did I get this lucky?*  
  
She giggled silently and grinned. *An asshole named Q decided to drop me in your lap!*  
  
Trunks smirked. *Silly girl.*  
  
She reached the stage and Goku gave her arm to Trunks, grinning like an idiot. The preacher made his speech, and then they were ready for the vows, which they had written themselves. Rose went first. "I vow to love you, till eternity and beyond, to never touch another. I will always be there when you are troubled, when life refuses to turn the way you want it to, when tragedy strikes, and when sickness or injury lay their hands upon you. You are my life, my bonded love, my soul. With this ring, the unbroken circle which symbolizes eternity, I give my self to you in marriage." And she slid the ring onto his finger.  
  
Then Trunks said, "In all that we've faced before we met each other, we were alone, though friends and family were with us. We could not share our hearts with any other, not even those most trusted of our family. You were among the stars, lost in them with your crew, trying to find your way back home, and you faced many dangers along the way. I was in the past, learning from a father who died here and who's pride would never allow him or me to show the weakness of emotion. But in finding each other, we have made ourselves whole, and I vow that this will always be so. I will be there when you need me, I will protect you from all danger, and I will always love you. With this ring, the unbroken circle, I give myself to you in marriage." And he put the matching band on her finger.  
  
The preacher said, "If any here have cause to deny these two the bonds of marriage, let them speak now, or forever hold their piece." Trunks glared at the audience and Rose giggled. No one even breathed. The preacher grinned and said, "Then by the power vested in me by the Capital City and by the Gods, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may now kiss your bride."  
  
Trunks lifted the veil from before her face and smiled at her. *You look great, you know.*  
  
She grinned and nodded. *So do you.*  
  
Trunks put his arms around her waist and she put hers as far around his large shoulders as they would go, and as they kissed, the entire audience erupted into applause and cheering. They broke the kiss and descended from the stage, closely followed by their entourage and the music from the organ.  
xxx  
  
At the reception, Goku told her everything he knew about the effects of the bond. Being able to hear each other's thoughts and feelings brought it's own set of problems, namely the fact that if you were fighting, there was no where to escape to, but the joys far outweighed the drawbacks. She was glad he was here to talk to, even if she would never be able to again. She could see why Bulma thought the world of him.  
  
She and Trunks left the pavilion in a hail of rose petals after the dinner was over. There had been one major fiasco when the dead Saiyans attacked the buffet, leaving virtually nothing for the guests to eat. Rose'd had to threaten to kick them back to the Otherworld if they didn't keep their hands out of the cake. Trunks had backed her up, saying, "Believe her, Goku. If I'm not using my Saiyan strength, she regularly kicks my butt when we're sparring."  
  
Trunks flew her to the place where they'd first made love and set her on the ground gently. He took off the coat and tie, just standing there with her in the clearing in the white shirt and black pants. He removed it all slowly and then came to her and began unfastening the white gown. He first removed the skirt and she stepped out of it as it reached the ground, then he took off the little white shoes. Then he took the lace garter off, sliding his hands down her leg as he went and sending a shiver straight through her. Next off was the fancily decorated top bodice and she was left standing in nothing but a simple white cotton leotard that extended from her shoulders to her crotch. This he slid down her form until it pooled around her ankles and she stepped out of it, completely nude, just as he was. He stood there for a moment, just admiring her, then moved closer to her.  
  
Finally, she started to get impatient and closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck and jumping, using leverage to get her long legs around his waist and lock them together. He grabbed her around her own to keep her from falling as she kissed him passionately, needing him, and he returned it with just as much passion. He went to his knees and laid her back on the soft earth. She could tell he was feeling playful about this by his state of mind, so she had some warning when he started to tease her, kissing her breasts and licking them. Then he moved down her body, just tracing his tongue over her abs, making her moan a little, then moving to just above her womanhood and blowing gently at her, making the hairs shift slightly and making her nerves light on fire.  
  
He moved back up and kissed her again on the mouth, letting the kiss wax passionate as she opened her mouth to allow him access. Their tongues battled for supremacy for a while and then he entered her gently, causing her to gasp in pleasure. He set an easy rhythm and entered her mind with the same deftness as he had entered her body, lowering his own barriers as she entered his. They felt each others' pleasures, which doubled as their minds made that most intimate contact. As he spilled his seed, filling her up, she climaxed and they wrapped around each other's thoughts and emotions, more one now than at any other time. They crashed together and curled up, both exhausted and sated, completely inseperate, and fell asleep, still joined together in perfect union.  
xxx  
  
Three years later, Rose had some good news for her husband. She yelled at him to come out of the gravity room that had been Bulma's wedding present to her son. He obeyed her quickly enough, grabbing a towel as he turned off the gravity and wiping off the sweat that covered his torso. He walked in and saw the grin on her face and knew that she had a secret. He laughed once at her face and said, "Well? What's got you so giggly?" Then he looked at the table and saw a box that said "Pregnancy Test." He looked back at her quickly. Rose giggled and let down her mental barriers for him as she held up the little stick that was hidden in her hand. It was blue on the end.  
  
Surprised and delighted, Trunks slipped into her mind, confirming the results. He started laughing and picked her up by the waist, twirling her around. She laughed with him as he sent his mind ranging through her and focusing on the tiny ki inside of her. It was already strong, which pleased him greatly. Trunks' rapture at the knowledge that he was going to become a father flooded over the both of them and he carried her off to the bedroom to express it a bit more thoroughly.  
xxx  
  
Rose pushed one more time, fighting the incredible pain, and finally the little boy was outside, screaming his head off. The doctor picked him up and handed him off to one of the nurses to be cleaned, and Rose fell back onto the inclined bed exhausted. Trunks was beside her and his hand was bleeding because in pain she'd dug her nails into his skin, but he was unconcerned with it, only with the fact that his mate was hurting. He wished fervently that he had a senzu bean, but he knew that the last of them had been used long ago during the time of the androids.   
  
The child's cries brought a tired smile to her lips. She had been waiting for eight months to see him, and even though she was in a great deal of pain, she couldn't wait to look at his face. The doctor dealt the afterbirth and by then the little boy was cleaned and wrapped in a blanket. They brought him to her and she held him, Trunks looking at him over her shoulder, and smiled. He was beautiful. His hair was red like hers, and though there wasn't much of it yet, it looked like it was going to stand straight up like his grandfather's. He had his father's face, but his eyes were hers, big, green and soulful. His cries stopped as she held him and he fell asleep, exhausted by his ordeal, and his tail looped around her wrist with surprising strength. Even at this age, he was very strong.  
  
Trunks smiled down at her and kissed her sweat soaked brow. "Did you decide what to name him yet?"  
  
She nodded. "Since he has my father's color and your father's style in his hair, I'll name him for both of them. Benjamin Vegeta Briefs."  
xxx  
  
Thirteen years and a few months later, Rose came home to find it empty. She had been in town shopping for more food, as trying to keep up with Saiyan appetites was quite a chore, and she was about to get started on dinner. It was only a moment after she walked in the door that she realized something was wrong. Not with the absence of her husband and son, as they were probably in the gravity room, but with the house itself. There was a distinct presence that she had never before felt, and she was surprised by the darkness of it. This was evil! She heard a small sound and whipped around to see something she never had before.  
  
The alien was seven feet tall, blue skinned, and had large pointed ears. He was otherwise humanoid and had straight white hair that cascaded down his back. He wore a black cassock and a gray shirt underneath and a black belt and shoes. On his forehead was a black gem-like protuberance, and his eyes, which were looking her up and down as if she were a piece of meat, were black as well.  
  
She supposed that the alien wanted her to be frightened, so she decided to act defiant instead. Angrily, she shouted at him, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IN MY HOUSE!?"  
  
The thing just grinned. "I suppose it was rude of me to come in without knocking, but you see, I have an engagement with you, Ensign Palmer." Rose stiffened. Not only was he not using her married name, but he was using her rank in Starfleet! No one had called her "Ensign" in nearly twenty years. How did HE know?  
  
"Who are you, and what do you want?"  
  
"Yes I should introduce myself. I'm Darijan. Under Frieza's rule, I enjoyed the position of being his chief torture artist. I was especially suited for this because of my empathic abilities, especially when he wanted to torture Saiyans. It is very difficult to torture someone when they are fifty times stronger than you are, not to mention their annoying ability to become stronger after suffering a near death experience. But since a Saiyan mates for life, and the bond is such a strong one, that is much easier to act upon. Merely capture one, making certain that they are completely tranquilized, and the mate will surely appear. Then all I had to do was act on the bond and break it with my mind. This, of course, will kill them both, but it is slow, and agonizing, especially if you keep them chained in the same room where they can see each other but not touch. The shattered bond is strengthened just a bit when you do that, making them sure to survive longer in the pain.  
  
"Unfortunately, I was stopped by Prince Vegeta. Imagine my humiliation, being beaten by a boy of only five years. Oh well, I never was a fighter." Rose stared at him confused and frightened beyond belief. "No doubt you're wondering how, if Vegeta killed me, am I standing in your living room. Well, a gentleman who called himself Q let me out of Hell, giving me back my body and told me that the price of this was to find the last Saiyan and destroy him. Well that led me here. And here I find this beautiful woman, and I know that you are his mate. How perfect!" She turned to run, but there were three men in her way. "Oh, no, my sweet, I cannot allow you to escape that easily." He moved toward her, attempting to touch her forehead.  
  
She wouldn't be taken so easily. She had learned much from her husband over the years about controlling her energy, and she fired a blast through the opposite wall, giving her an escape route into the woods.  
xxx 


	6. Q's Intentions

Disclaimer: I collect 'em, but I don't own 'em.  
  
WARNING: LEMON  
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CHAPTER 6: Q'S INTENTIONS  
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"So," Rose told her captain, "I ran through the woods, trying to get away from them, when Q popped up in front of me and I was back here. Not only am I torn away from my family, but with the kind of distance involved here, I'm almost sure that my bond with Trunks will kill me."  
  
As Janeway sat, absorbing the huge amounts of information she had just received, she hoped the ensign was wrong. Why would Q give her such a wonderful life and then snatch it all away, leaving her to literally die of a broken heart? The entity had never been this cruel. He had a nasty sense of humor, but he had morals and principles, and these actions didn't fit what she knew of him. She sighed. "Well, Ensign Briefs, I'm going to want you to stay here in Sickbay for a while. It may be that we can find a way to help you survive this."  
  
Rose smiled tiredly. "Thank you, Captain, but not even Darijan could actually remove a bond, and that's what it would take. I won't last long, but honestly, without my family, I won't be sad to go." Then she laid back down on the cot and promptly fell asleep, silent tears running down her cheeks.  
  
The Doctor motioned for the captain to come with him into the office. He had scanned her body extensively while she was talking, and he wanted Janeway to see the results. "Captain, her scans show that while she's physically no older than she was yesterday, she has not only the extra memories, but quite a few well healed scars that show quite a bit of age and the signs of a difficult childbirth, also well healed. She's far stronger than she was, very well toned, and she has a deep tan now, signs of a very active, out-doors lifestyle. I also found an anomaly in her brain wave patterns." He pulled up a split screen, one with the brain activity recorded from her last physical and the other with her current activity. "There's a new strand running through all three bands (Alpha, Beta, Delta) that connects to every mental and physical function in her brain and is tied to every system in her body. It has so integrated itself that if it were destroyed, it would scramble her pathways until there's nothing left, and that's exactly what's happening. It's going fairly slowly, and I think she'll be all right for a day or two, but within seven days her brain will start loosing cohesion. She'll be in a lot of pain, probably suffering hallucinations, and eventually her heart will stop when the brain stops sending it signals."  
  
Janeway, sighed heavily and leaned over the console, bracing herself there with her hands. She turned her head to look up at the hologram. "Is there no way to keep that pattern stable?"  
  
"I may be able to use some of the Borg technology we've gotten from Seven. The Borg collective has to be able to control the synaptic impulses of the drones in order to control them. I might be able to alter that for Ensign Briefs to hold the bond stable, but I don't know how long it will last."  
  
Janeway nodded. "Work on it with Seven, Doctor. Keep me posted." She stood up and moved to leave. Before walking out of Sickbay, she turned back around to look at her crewman. *I pray we can help her, but I have a bad feeling about this.*  
xxx  
  
Trunks had never felt such pain in his life, not even while fighting the androids or Cell. He only knew one thing; this pain was being caused by the fact that his wife was gone. She wasn't dead, he knew that, but his bond with her was being attacked somehow. She was far, far away, perhaps in another dimension.  
  
Ben was trying to figure out what was wrong. They had been off training in the mountains when Trunks had felt her power rising. But before he could get to her, the bond had stretched and nearly snapped, causing him to double over in pain. Ben had dragged his father into the house, noticing but avoiding the gigantic hole in the wall, and tried to figure out what was wrong.  
  
Ben suddenly felt a great power coming toward them. It wasn't fighting energy, but it was definitely evil and somehow strong. He looked outside and saw a dark man dressed in black.  
xxx  
  
Darijan stared at the boy before him. Save for the coloration of his hair and eyes, he was the spitting image of Prince Vegeta. He didn't have a tail either, but he definitely had the attitude. This must be Trunks' son. Damn! He was not told that they'd had a brat! The boy looked to be in his early teens, but he was obviously well trained. If Vegeta had been able to destroy him at a mere five years old, then this kid would have absolutely no trouble doing the same.  
  
He landed in front of the house. The boy came up to him, completely fearless, and spat, "What do you want?" Oh, yes, he was WAY too much like his grandfather for Darijan's taste. Gods, the expression of disdain was identical!  
  
Deciding that he would rather not be sent back to hell by ANOTHER child, he decided to change his tactics. "I have a message for your father, boy." This would work just as well as taunting the older Saiyan personally, even if it did sting his professional pride not to finish the job with his individual stamp. Hell, the whole thing had already been botched up by that other Q! How dare he stick his nose in! Oh well. His kidnapping the girl had done the same job quite efficiently. The bond between the Saiyan and his mate was strained nearly to the breaking point. The only thing left to do really was to torment him about it and ensure that the blame didn't fall on his own head. With his sort of power, there was nothing that he could do with the boy. For that he would have to wait until he was grown and had a bondmate of his own. "You've probably noticed that he's in a lot of pain."  
  
The boy drew an obvious conclusion and in less than a half a second he had closed his hand around the large alien's throat, crushing it. "What have you done to my father!?"  
  
Darijan moved his hands to the boy's iron grip, trying to get them loose enough to speak. "Not...me," he gasped.  
  
Benjamin looked at the alien. *I won't get any information out of him if he's dead.* He dropped Darijan to the ground and kneeled beside him. "Start talking, creep, before I REALLY get mad."  
  
Darijan gulped at the soreness in his throat, then said, "Your father's bond with your mother has been broken. It's killing them even as we speak. It's hitting him harder right now because he's a Saiyan, but he'll last longer against the pain than she will. They'll die at the same moment." The boy was about to strike again as he had let a little of his enjoyment of the situation leak into his voice. "Wait, please! I didn't do this! I was assigned to do it, but it is not my work."  
  
"How do I fix it?"  
  
"You can't. The only way to repair the bond is to get them back together, and Q took her back to her home dimension, to her ship. There's no way you can get to her. Your parents are dead, boy." That was the wrong thing to say. Benjamin had never killed a sentient being before, so he wasn't going to start with this piece of trash, but he knocked him out, punching him in the gut. He ran inside and grabbed the phone, calling his grandmother.  
  
Bulma answered the phone. "Yes?"  
  
"Grandma? It's Ben. Look I don't have time to explain much, but Dad's been hurt. Can I come get you? I need your help."  
  
Trunks? Hurt? "I'll be on the front porch." She hung up and started rifling through boxes and found the tricorder that Rose had managed to make all those years ago and the first aid capsules and headed out to the front of the house. She knew that Ben would be there quickly, so she ran. What could her son have possibly managed to do to himself?  
xxx  
  
The EMH sat behind his desk fiddling with the microscopic nanoprocessor that Seven had given him to work with. It wasn't one of her normal nanites. This one was there only to relay information through the synaptic pathways from the collective and the Queen, and he thought that he might be able to modify it's programming to boost the transmission of the bond's signal to and from the ensign's mate. They had figured out that it was the strain of the distance between the dimensions that was causing the bond to degrade, so he thought that if he could boost the signal it would buy them some time. He knew that this was not a permanent solution, even if he could get it to work. It was what they had called in the twentieth century a "Band-Aid fix." It would buy them a month at the most, but hopefully that would be enough time to convince Q to fix it himself. If he would show himself.  
  
Motion caused the him to look up. Rose was starting to nightmare again, thrashing around on the bed in response to what ever visions were assaulting her this time. This had happened a lot over the past couple of days, a sure sign of the problems in her heart and mind. He went to wake her up, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ensign?" She didn't respond, still trapped inside her dream. "Ensign Briefs!" He tried calling her like that a few more times, but it wasn't working. So he shouted, "Rose!"  
  
That woke her. She shot straight up in the bed and the alarms went off. There was a glowing ball of energy in each of her hands and she had a wild look on her face that told him she wasn't quite out of the nightmare. He jumped back, but she finally saw him and recognized him. The fear on her face subsided, as did the ki balls, and she breathed deeply, tears streaking down her face.  
  
The Doctor was not programmed with emotional therapy techniques. He was never meant to be a ship's councilor. He was a surgeon, plain and simple. But he also had emotions, and to some extent he had compassionate instincts, all of which had been given to him while in the Delta Quadrant by a crew who wanted him to have a better bed-side manner. He walked over to her and embraced her to give her some small comfort. She took his offer and clung to him, sobbing. He just held her, letting her cry herself out, but ready to sedate her if it became too much again.  
  
She finally calmed and thanked the Doctor for his presence. Suddenly there was a flash of light in the room. A familiar voice said, "I don't suppose you even want to talk to me." They whipped around to see Q standing there in the middle of Sickbay. The Doctor thought, *At least he has the decency to look apologetic.*  
  
Rose, however, was not inclined to be so charitable. She knew that she couldn't hurt him, so there was no reason to hold back her fury. She let loose two ki balls straight at his head, both of which he caught effortlessly. "Damn right, I don't want to talk to you, you bastard!"  
  
Q crushed the ki balls and allowed them to dissipate. He sighed. "I need to tell you what's been going on. Normally I'd just let you flounder, but since I've made a few mistakes in this mess, I think I owe you a few explanations." He sighed again and sat down on one of the cots. "I opened the gate to that little dimension about four and a half centuries ago, hoping to learn what the differences between the two versions of Earth were. Recently, after the war in the Continuum, I was told that someone had been trying to tamper with the fabric of that dimension, and I felt a bit responsible. I believe I have the captain to thank for that bit of conscience. Any way, I needed an excuse to be there, continually watching, so that I could attempt to catch whichever Q was doing this. So I - ah - made a bet with one of them."  
  
Rose scowled at him. She had a feeling she knew where this was headed. "What bet?" she growled.  
  
"I put up that you would adapt easily and might even be able to learn to control your ki energy and the bet was as to how long you would last. The only time limit was to the length of your life, and no one could interfere. The stakes were only bragging rights. We weren't betting on the fate of the universe or anything.  
  
"Any way, things got quiet for a couple of years, but as soon as you got married, someone got in and changed things. I still don't know which one it was. Once he realized that you had bonded to that Saiyan, he released Frieza's old henchman from Hell and told him if he didn't want to be sent back he would have to wipe you two out. The reason it has taken this long is that the fool didn't drop him on Earth. He just left him on the same planet he'd died and made him work his way there."  
  
Rose thought about the whole mess for a moment. "Maybe he wasn't a fool. He was probably hoping that with the amount of time it took Darijan to get from that planet to Earth you would forget about the intrusion." She looked up at him and smirked. "He underestimated you, probably because you needed your female and our crew to get your butt out of that war intact." She was handling him just like Bulma described having handled Vegeta, and she was fairly certain it would work.  
  
She was right. He smirked right back at her and said, "Probably. He was almost right. I didn't catch up to Darijan in time so I exercised the only option I had left, bringing you back here. I didn't take the time to investigate the bond, or I would have thought of something else. I'm sorry."  
  
Rose closed her eyes and sighed. Q apologizing was like Vegeta doing the same. It was a rare thing, something to be either treasured or feared. He really hadn't meant to put her in this kind of danger, nor Trunks. "So why don't you take me back? That would let us fix the bond."  
  
"The council closed me out. Taking you back was violating the rules of the bet."  
  
"Damn!"  
  
That was about the time when Tuvok and his security teams got to Sickbay. They had come for the alarms that Rose's blasts had set off, but the Vulcan was hardly surprised to see Q standing there. He touched his comn badge and said, "Security to the captain, please report to Sickbay."  
  
"What's the problem?" came Janeway's voice over the intercom.  
  
With the calmness that only the distant android Data and the Vulcan people could display, he said, "We have a guest."  
xxx  
  
A/N: Yeah, Q's a little OOC here, but not too much. Fatherhood *has* mellowed him a bit, as is only natural. Please remember to review, as this fic is in revision and I need all the help I can get. 


	7. A Better Idea

Disclaimer: Do I LOOK like Akira Toriyama? (Say yes and you will die!)  
  
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CHAPTER 7: A BETTER IDEA  
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Bulma listened to everything Ben said while she tried to get a sedative into her son. It was strong enough to knock out an elephant, so she hoped it would be enough to calm him somewhat. This was horrible! She knew what it was like to have a bond stretched by death, having lived with that constant dull pain for more than three decades, but a broken one had to be so much worse.  
xxx  
  
Trunks was in a fog so thick with pain that he couldn't see, couldn't hear, could barely even breathe. He had only one thought besides the pain. Rose. His beautiful flower. He could still feel her tentatively, her normal bright sun a pale and flickering star in his mind, too distant to touch. The warmth in his soul had gone with her. The nearly physical cold made him shake. It wouldn't be long now.  
  
Suddenly, there was a flash from the star, the only thing he could see in the fog. A tiny object appeared next to him in the nether world of his mind. It was a small machine with a power source that glowed green around the edges. It spoke to him, saying, *I am the amplification device created by the Emergency Medical Hologram of the Federation starship U.S.S. Voyager. I am here to amplify the telepathic signals between Rose Lynn Briefs and Trunks Vegeta Briefs. Please activate immediately.* He couldn't believe it, but he wasn't about to deny it! He picked up the tiny object and suddenly the pain lessened and the star that was his wife was fifty times brighter, a visible disk in the "sky."  
  
Her voice reached across to him, faint, but clear. *Trunks?*  
  
*Rose? Oh my God, Rose! What the Hell's been going on? Where are you?*  
  
*I'm back on Voyager. I know, it's so far away! We're not just worlds apart, we're in separate dimensions! And this booster is only going to last a month, tops. I need to tell you everything.*  
xxx  
  
Rose nearly burst into tears again when she felt the pain of her mate. It had hit him so much harder physically, and now that the link was stronger, she was sharing it. But as soon as she regained control it eased for both of them and they were able to relax. She told him all that she had learned from Q and felt his rage like a tonic, burning away some of the remaining pain. It was really too bad that the asshole wasn't in front of him at that moment. Immortal or not, he could have done a hell of a lot of damage in this condition.  
  
Trunks sat up on the couch where Ben had lain him. Bulma was shocked, but happy. "Mom?"  
  
She smiled. "Of course!"  
  
"Ben, thank God! Ack!" he cried out as another wave of pain hit him. But it was less and he could handle it. "Damn!"  
  
Ben said, "Are you going to be okay? That guy said your bond with Mom was broken and you were both going to die!"  
  
Trunks breathed out raggedly. "He wasn't lying, but there's still some hope. He told them both everything that Rose had told him.  
  
Bulma said, "How could immortal beings be so irresponsible? They're acting like children!"  
  
"I don't know, Mom. What do you think, though. Any ideas on how to fix this?"  
  
Ben piped up. "How'd the other one get in? I mean if it was supposed to be sealed off to everyone but the Q who made the bet, then how'd the other Q get Darijan out?"  
xxx  
  
Janeway asked Q the same question.  
  
"If I knew that, Captain, I'd know who it was."  
  
Rose said, "Think, Q. Where's the loophole in the rules?" Everyone in the room was working the problem over in their minds. Q's mind was easily able to outstrip those of the puny mortals around him, but for once, even he was stumped.  
xxx  
  
Bulma shouted, "I've got it!" Wasting no time in explanations, she opened her mind up for the first time since the death of Vegeta to her own bond. He was in Hell, but the bond had managed to keep him sane. *Vegeta.*  
  
The dead Saiyan was startled, but as he realized who was speaking, his mind filled with a joy that didn't belong in Hell. *B-Bulma? Is it really you?*  
  
*It's me, love. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you before this. Right now I need your help.*  
  
Pain. *How can I help you from here?*  
  
*It's information I need.* As quickly as she could, Bulma outlined the problem. *What I need to know is if Otherworld even counts as being a part of this dimension. I mean, isn't it a separate dimension, just connected by souls?*  
  
Vegeta thought about it. He hadn't ever really been concerned with the actual physics of the Otherworld. *I'll have to ask. I get your meaning, though. If it's totally separate then it was never included in the rules in the first place. We should all be glad he didn't release Frieza instead!*  
  
A shiver went down Bulma's spine at that thought. *Yeah.* As he went to find an ogre to ask his questions to, she sent a pulse of love along the bond and then backed off, waiting. Vegeta smiled. She'd always loved him. He only wished that he had realized that before he'd gone off to face the androids.  
  
It didn't take him long to find the ogre guards. He had them fairly intimidated, but he never actually attacked them. "Goz! I need to ask you a few questions."  
  
The ogre actually flinched. He hated having to guard the dangerous ones, especially the ones from the North Quadrant. They were invariably stronger than any of the others. But this one hadn't ever actually attempted to harm any of the guards, and had actually fought off Frieza more than once when He had. "What do you want, Vegeta?"  
  
"I just need to know if Otherworld is actually a separate dimension from the rest of our universe."  
  
Huh? Well THAT was a stumper! The ogre thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I believe so. It has to be or we'd get space ships accidentally finding this place and it would be a lot easier for strong people like yourself to escape." The prince just humphed and walked off in the other direction. "Why'd you want to know, Vegeta?"  
  
He snarled at the ogre. "That's none of your concern, weakling!"  
  
Goz backed off and stared at the Saiyan's retreating back. He was never going to understand that guy.  
  
Vegeta reopened the channel to his mate. *It would seem you were correct, woman. I can't believe that cretin is alive again! After what he did to my parents... He has to be sent back here! Torturing Saiyans might have been his specialty, but it's hardly his only skill. He could be quite a danger to Earth if he is allowed to remain alive!*  
  
*All right Vegeta, but we have to get Trunks and Rose back together first. This is my plan.*  
xxx  
  
*Hey, Rose! Mom figured it out. Otherworld is a completely separate dimension enclosed within this one.*  
  
Rose looked up sharply. "Of course!" she said aloud.  
  
Q looked at her. "What?"  
  
"Otherworld is a separate pocket dimension within that universe! It wasn't even covered in the rules! That's perfect! You could just go to Earth's check in station and get Goku to teleport Trunks and Ben there! Then you can bring them here. I'd ask you to bring Bulma, too, but her bond is stretched enough with Vegeta being dead."  
  
Q just stared into space for a moment, a shocked expression on his face. "Why didn't I think of that?" Then he snapped his fingers and was gone.  
xxx  
  
Q appeared at Earth's check in station in Otherworld, only to be greeted by a truly hilarious sight. Vegeta was standing on King Yemma's desk getting ready to pummel the gigantic red deity that was fifty times his size. "You have GOT to get Kakkarot in here! This is my son's life we're talking about, and no matter what you think of me, he does not deserve this! He is a FAR better man than I!"  
  
Q disjointedly applauded the angry prince. "Quite true, Vegeta. At least you realize it."  
  
Vegeta whipped around and saw a human male standing there dressed in some sort of black and burgundy uniform with a gold symbol on it. At least he appeared human. But his ki was huge. It was the strangest thing he had ever sensed. This had to be... "Q. Are you here for Kakkarot?"  
  
"That's right."  
  
"Good!" He turned back to Yemma. "Now maybe you'll listen to me, horns for brains! Where is Kakkarot!?"  
  
Q smirked and snapped his fingers. Goku appeared in a flash of light, looking innocently confused. "Huh? How'd I get here?" He looked up at the desk and frowned when he saw the prince standing there with a fist full of King Yemma's suit coat. "Vegeta!? What are you doing? Don't you think you're in enough trouble as it is?"  
  
"At the moment I could care less, buffoon! I need you to go get my son and his brat and bring them here. And hurry! He could die!"  
  
Goku quickly realized the seriousness of the situation. He looked up at Yemma for permission. Recieving a nod of aproval, Goku said, "All right. I'll be right back." He put two fingers on his forehead and gathered his energy and then disappeared.  
xxx  
  
Goku showed up in the middle of the Briefs residence. Bulma looked up. "Goku? Thank God! I guess you got the message, huh?"  
  
"Well not all of it. Vegeta said Trunks was dying, so I figured I better not wait on explanations." The dead man turned to where his son's student was sitting on the couch. Another wave of pain had him in it's grasp, so there was no questioning the validity of Vegeta's statement. He said, "Where's your grandson?"  
  
"I'm right here." Ben had just come down stairs. "You're Goku, right?" He nodded. "I'm Benjamin."  
  
"Pleased to meet you. I just wish it were under better circumstances. Where's Rose?"  
  
Ben groaned. "That's the problem. She's back in her home dimension."  
  
"Oh, man! No wonder he's in so much pain. All right, come here. I have to be in contact with both of you for this to work."  
  
A sudden thought struck Bulma and she grabbed onto her childhood friend's arm at the same time Ben did. "I'm coming too. Not to the ship, just to the check in station."  
  
Reading her intentions, Goku sighed. "I don't know if they'll let you stay, Bulma. But I guess it can't hurt to try."  
xxx  
  
They all reappeared in front of Yemma's desk. The first thing that happened was that Bulma and Vegeta ran into each other's arms, embracing tightly, tears running down both of their faces. Yemma looked sideways at Goku, then shrugged. It wouldn't hurt to give them a day together.  
  
Q looked amused by the whole situation, but he kept his mouth shut. He simply walked over to Trunks and Benjamin and said, "Are you two ready?"  
  
Trunks stood up as the pain that had been crashing over his body finally subsided somewhat. He looked over to where his parents were standing and smiled. *There's something I never thought I'd see, but I guess it's been too long for the both of them.* He turned to the entity who was waiting for a response. "Yes."  
xxx  
  
A/N: Here's chapter seven. Please review! Tell me if I've made any mistakes! 


	8. Dining With Saiyans

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or Voyager. They belong to people with far more power/money/influence/etc. than I could ever hope to dream about, being just a little Lady Darkfire. *gather's gigantic ki ball in each hand* Do you really want to sue me when you could get nothing out of it but a great deal of pain?  
  
WARNING: LEMON  
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CHAPTER 8: DINING WITH SAIYANS  
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Captain Janeway sat on the cot across from her ensign. She prayed that this was going to work. The concept of an afterlife that was that real was very foreign to her, but on this voyage, far stranger things had happened. The only thing she wanted right now was for this member of her crew to survive, heart and mind intact. She knew that there were other things they would have to worry about shortly, but for now this would be enough.  
  
Finally, Q flashed in along with two men. One was middle aged with piercing blue eyes full of pain and long, straight lavender hair that was tied with a leather thong at the base of his neck. He had a strong face and a fighter's physique. The other was a young man, probably in his early teens with hair the color and shape of a flame starting in a high widow's peak, somehow defying gravity. His eyes were snapping with emerald fire and his face and form were exactly like the other save for age. Both wore skin-tight white cotton tanks, dark baggy pants, and sneakers. It was obvious that they were father and son.  
  
Rose was off the bed in a flash. She shouted, "Trunks!" and embraced him fiercely. Benjamin stood to the side, grinning at the sight of his parents.  
  
Trunks breathed out, "Rose." Tears had welled up in his eyes and were streaming down his face, but they were tears of joy, just like hers.  
  
Janeway could have watched forever, but there were things that had to be done, so she cleared her throat. They turned to her, both blushing just a little bit, and Rose giggled. "So are you going to introduce us, Ensign?"  
  
She grinned. "Of course! Captain Janeway, this is Trunks Briefs, my husband, and this is my son, Benjamin. Trunks, Ben this is Captain Katherine Janeway, and these are the Doctor and Commander Tuvok, Security Chief."  
  
Without removing his left arm from around his wife, Trunks shook the captain's hand. "Rose always described you as a very courageous and stubborn woman in all the best ways. I'm glad she was right. Anyone else might have given up on her and let her die."  
  
"Well, I don't know about that, but you're welcome anyway. I hope you'll eat with me this evening."  
  
At the mention of dinner, the two Saiyans' faces lit up, but Rose's had a comic look of mild horror on her face. "Oh, no! How are we going to get around THIS? I'd hate to foist two Saiyan appetites on Neelix!"  
  
Ben laughed. "Don't worry, Mom. Before we went out to train, we went into the city to pick up some more supplies. He didn't want you to have to cook tonight since it was you're anniversary." He pulled out a capsule refrigerator from his pocket. "There's enough in these five capsules to last us a couple of months."  
  
"Thank heavens!"  
  
"Well," said the captain, "I'll see you at dinner then." She left Sickbay, Tuvok following her.  
  
Q said, "Well I guess I should leave, too. This whole mess is bound to throw up some turmoil in the council."  
  
Rose smirked at him. "Don't enjoy yourself TOO much."  
  
He grinned and disappeared.  
  
Rose turned to her son. "Ben, I'm going to get you assigned to one of the guest quarters. There's not much in the way of training facilities on this ship that could stand up to a beating from a Saiyan, so we'll have to find you some other way to occupy your time."  
  
The boy snorted. "What kind of training facilities DOES this ship have?"  
  
"Well they're suitable for a Klingon with an attitude and they can usually handle phaser fire from hand-held units. But you my dear are far stronger than that. Don't worry, I'll make some adjustments to some of the holodeck programs later, adding force fields and heavy shielding, as well as adjusting the gravity. I probably won't be able to do more than one hundred Gs, but with the other surprises thrown in, it ought to be a good workout. Of course, I'll have to get permission from the captain first and I'll need Lt. Torres' help, but it shouldn't be a problem. But you'll have to promise to take it easy. This isn't the GR at home, and your grandmother isn't going to be there to fix the thing if you blow it up, not to mention you'd blow a hole in the ship, killing everyone on board."  
  
The boy gulped. He took the hint.  
xxx  
  
Rose led Trunks to her quarters. The bond was still sore, and there was only one way to completely heal it. Not that either of them objected to this sort of therapy, but they needed to get started quickly. As the door swished shut, all their restraints dropped and they attacked each other with kisses, shedding clothing as they went.  
  
They fell to the bed, which was designed to take plenty of abuse considering the nature of some of the races that were a part of Starfleet crews. Trunks let his hands wonder all over his wife's body, taking in her sweetness and her scent, trying to keep control long enough to give them both as much pleasure as possible. Rose was not so patient. She grabbed his manhood, fondling him in the ways she knew would drive him over the edge. She wanted and needed to feel him inside of her, and she didn't feel like waiting. Trunks gasped, but he continued to play with her, feeling his Saiyan stubbornness come to the fore. But Rose had never lost this particular battle with him. She reached around to his back and grabbed his tail spot, first caressing it, and then pressing into it with the heal of her hand. He groaned and then grinned at her. *Impatient?*  
  
*This has been a very long three days, love.* He moved his mouth back up to hers and relented to her wishes, entering her with one swift movement. He set the pace of their eternal dance and they slipped into it's graces with skill, passion, and the ease of long practice. They were truly made for each other, and matched each other's movements with the harmony of a well-trained and superior choir, with not even a single note being discordant or misplaced. As they climaxed, they each took the other's neck into their mouths, reopening the scars of their bonding and feeling their bond snap back into place like the setting of a dislocated joint. The pain was laced through with pleasure so intense that they just lay there in each other's arms, trembling with the force of it.  
  
For the next few hours they just lay in the bed, their mental shields joined so that they were not blocking out each other but they were also not assaulting the two Vulcans on the ship with their very strong emotions. They never spoke, just letting their thoughts join and melt into their combined conciousnesses, reveling in the silence and in the bond and in each other's presence.  
xxx  
  
Benjamin was glad when he felt his parents' power levels start to rise, and he grinned when he felt their shields merge and intensify, blocking him and anyone else who could "listen" out. He knew quite well what was going on, and it made him happy. He looked at his escort, the rooster-headed Talaxian named Neelix. He was a happy sort, having a different kind of energy than fighting power. He was, in short, bubbly. Ben grinned as he realized that he could probably use the little man to get into all sorts of fun trouble, but he kept in mind that he was a guest, and the sorts of trouble that a Saiyan could get into would definitely wear out his welcome.  
  
He said, "Well, Mr. Neelix, I wonder if you could show me this holodeck that Mom's always raved about? She said it had some good training programs."  
  
"Training? What sort of training?" The Talaxian noticed the glint of mischief in the boy's eyes. Had his mother told him not to go into the holodeck?  
  
Ben said, "Physical. I believe her exact words were 'programs suitable for a Klingon with an attitude.'"  
  
Neelix grinned at the description of Lt. Torres. "Well, I don't know much about those programs, but don't you think they'd be a bit much for you? After all, you're what, thirteen?"  
  
Ben didn't take offense at the thought that he would be that weak just because he was young. He knew that the man had only recently learned of the existence of the Saiyan race and had no one to compare him to, so he just snorted in amusement. "Not likely. I'm used to training kata in nearly 500 Gs and sparring with Dad in 400. Mom said there would have to be some major modifications to the equipment before it would be any kind of challenge to me. But right now I just want to have a little fun. I promise I won't break anything!"  
  
Neelix chuckled. The kid was manipulative, but he believed the promise. "All right. We're fairly close right now." They continued down the corridor to Holodeck 3, but as they got there, B'Elanna Torres came around the corner dressed in her workout gear. "Oops. Looks like someone else is already going in."  
  
Ben looked at the woman before him. He had two totally different reactions. The first was the same one that any humanoid male of his physical age would have had upon seeing her. After all, her Klingon ridges did nothing to detract from her beauty. If anything they added a sense of the exotic that enhanced her appearance. His second reaction was far less involuntary. Her power level was not amazing. It was even less than his mother's. But he sensed that she would be far more willing to USE that power. Perhaps she would like a sparring partner. He walked up to her and extended his hand. "Hello. I'm Ben Briefs."  
  
Slightly surprised, the demi-Klingon took his hand, amazed by the grip he had. This kid couldn't be even fourteen! "B'Elanna Torres. What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, I kind of wanted to train a little, just to keep from being bored. But it looks like you've already got time booked. Mind if I join you? I'm not a bad sparring partner, and I promise I won't hurt you." Then a glint came into his eyes and a very Vegeta-esque smirk came to his lips. "Much."  
  
The Klingon warrior in her stirred at the implicit challenge in the boy's attitude and stance. *Cocky brat! Well if that report wasn't any exaggeration, his boastfulness could be nothing less than the truth. What the Hell. I could use a good workout.* She smiled at him. "Sure kid. Why not?" She turned to the programming panel for the holodeck, punched in a few alterations and then turned back to the boy. As the computer announced it's readiness, she said, "Shall we?" and turned to the door. It opened with a woosh into a steaming jungle. The program was in standby, but the backdrop was already active. She waited for the boy to come in and watched for his reactions, but his visage had become a battle mask, revealing nothing. He was ready. She said, "The program is at level ten right now. There are seventy programmed warriors hidden in these woods. They are not sentient programs. You're just fighting the computer when it comes to strategy. The rules are that we fight each other and the warriors try to kill us. The safeties are off, so the threat is real. The only restriction is that we can't actually kill each other. And I warn you now, to a Klingon, there's no such thing as fighting dirty. I'll win any way I can."  
  
The boy simply nodded, his fiery green eyes revealing nothing but the joyful anticipation of battle that she had seen on many a Klingon's face. The trademark smirk of the paternal side of his lineage was already in place. "Ready?"  
  
B'Elanna grinned. This was going to be fun!  
xxx  
  
When they emerged from the holodeck, B'Elanna was laughing her head off at their last encounter. The warriors had finally managed to tackle the young Saiyan as a team, the computer concluding that was it's only chance to defeat the player. He, too was grinning, despite the swollen black eye that was the only mark she'd managed to put on his body for the whole session. Even though he'd never once raised his power level during the fight, deeming it unfair since she couldn't, he'd been more than a match for her, and they'd both enjoyed every minute of it.  
  
He said, "Well, I'd better get going back to my quarters. Mom'll kill me if I'm late for dinner."  
  
B'Elanna pursed her lips and squinted at the fresh shiner. "She's not going to take that amiss is she?"  
  
He grinned. "Nah! This's nothing. You should have seen me the last time I managed to blow up the gravity room at home! It felt like every bone had been scratched with a knife and then put back in wrong. I was out for a week with that one! And Grandma kept calling me 'Vegeta's little shadow' and right then I knew it wasn't a compliment."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Vegeta?" she inquired.  
  
"Yeah my Saiyan grandfather. He was always blowing that thing up when he was training. More than once, he nearly killed himself with it. He was so obsessed with becoming a Super Saiyan that his own safety didn't matter." The boy sighed. "Not that it mattered any way in the end. Android Eighteen was still able to kill him without too much of a challenge. But then the only fighter they DIDN'T kill was Dad, and that was after he had gone into the past to learn how to be a better fighter." He sighed again. "Well I gotta go. I'll see you around, okay?"  
  
"Sure, kid, you can count on it."  
xxx  
  
For dinner with the captain, Rose replicated her husband and son some new clothes, knowing that she would have to get them both an entire wardrobe soon, but just doing the outfits for now. Trunks she put in a white mock turtle neck shirt and navy slacks with ship boots and Ben she put in a navy shirt and black pants and boots. There was nothing she could do about Ben's hair as, like his grandfather's, it stood straight up unless it was wet, but Trunks' hair was long and fine and she braided it down his back. (A/N: Loose it hits the bottom of his shoulder blades. I just thought he'd look so sexy like that! ^_^) She could have killed Ben and Torres both for him getting a black eye when she was trying to make him look presentable. She herself wore an elegant, seamless black dress with long sleeves, a neckline that was neither daring nor prudish, and a hem that flowed to an inch above the floor. She braided her hair as well, manipulating it into an intricate twist and securing it to the top of her head with her mother's Chinese combs, one group of items that she had sorely missed in Trunks' dimension because of their sentimental value to her.  
  
Rose had gotten Neelix to help her prepare the huge meal that was now waiting for them in the formal dining room. She had enjoyed venting about what she considered to be the Saiyan race's one and only true flaw to him (A/N: Appetite. Remember that the only full blooded Saiyan she's ever met was Goku and he was dead at the time.) and sharing a few of the recipes that she had found over the years. He had sympathized with her, wondering how she had managed to keep the two of them fed. They apparently ate four times what a human did. Of course, he had to feed most of the crew every day, but they usually didn't "pig out," as the human saying went.  
  
After threatening her husband and son with their lives if they didn't behave themselves and eat neatly, she led them to the dining room. The room was so rarely used that if it hadn't been for the ship's automatic air filtration system it would have been covered in dust. It's sole purpose was the formal entertainment of foreign dignitaries. Since Voyager had never been intended to solely be a battleship, she had been designed with all sorts of diplomatic amenities, and the dining room was one of them. The usual Federation decor, basic utilitarian elegance, was elaborated in this room with small touches; the gold trim, the plusher seats, the observation window that would always face any planet that they happened to be orbiting, giving the occupants a beautiful view with their dinner, and the slick black Risian marble tabletop. The ebony stone had veins of gold running through it, which matched the Federation uniforms of that color perfectly, keeping the uniforms from clashing with the room. The stuff was marvelously expensive, but for such a small piece of it, there was no reason to object to it's addition as the ship was being built.  
  
As the captain came in, dressed in a simple burgundy dress that was much darker than the color of her uniform, she smiled at them all and motioned for them all to sit down. The dinner went smoothly, the Saiyans behaving themselves with their table manners, and they chit-chatted about the little details of Trunks' world. Rose had made a green apple pie from scratch, something that she knew that the captain would adore. In fact, she didn't let Trunks and Ben have more than one slice each, planning to let the bridge crew fight over the other half of the pie.  
  
Janeway laughed a lot that night. She was amazed by the amount of food that those two could put away! Once they were through eating, she decided to satisfy her curiosity. "How can you two eat like that and still not gain fat?"  
  
Rose grinned, remembering when she had asked Trunks the same question. Trunks chuckled. "Most of it goes into maintaining our power levels. Saiyan digestion is very efficient and can get a lot more energy out of food than that of a human, but we still need a lot more fuel than you do."  
  
"How is that power stored? I mean, the human body stores energy as fat."  
  
"Well, not all energy. I've known humans with pretty respectable power levels. When I went back in time, I met Krillin and Tien and Yamcha, and they were all very strong for being only human. They had pretty strong energy attacks, too, and they didn't eat any more than a normal human. I think that every person has that power, but without training they can never use it. I guess that in this dimension, that either isn't the case or the secret of using it was never discovered. In all that Rose has ever told me about your Federation, she never mentioned any race being able to use their energy like that."  
  
"Hmm." That was surprising. She wondered if anyone in her crew might be able to learn how to do that. "So how does it work?"  
  
Trunks was about to demonstrate, but Rose stopped him. "No, Trunks. When I fired at Q in sickbay, the alarms went off. The computer thinks it's phaser fire."  
  
"Well I guess that's not a good idea."  
  
She narrowed her eyes at him as the corner of her mouth turned up a bit. "No kidding!"  
  
The captain decided to switch subjects. She turned to Ben. She indicated his black eye and said, "How'd you get that?"  
  
The young Saiyan grinned. "I was sparring with Lt. Torres in the Holodeck. I started talking bad at her just to get her mad so she'd fight harder, and she surprised me. She's great! I think I'll teach her some moves. She's not stronger than Mom, but she's a lot more willing to just haul off and deck you! I like her fighting style."  
  
The captain took in this information with a great deal of surprise. Ensign Briefs was stronger than her half-Klingon engineer? How had this happened?  
  
Then she made note of something else and hid a smile behind her drink. She thought that she saw the beginnings of a crush descending on the young man. From Rose's descriptions, the Saiyan race seemed to have a lot of parallels to Klingon culture, but that didn't mean that B'Elanna would welcome the advances of a thirteen year old. Well, she was sure that the engineer would be able to handle him.  
  
Trunks, who had also noticed the signs in his son, was not so sure, however. He knew how strong the urges could get. He might have to have a word with the young man later about control, as well as reminding him that the Klingon was married.  
xxx  
  
A/N: Well this is the last chapter that I've completed and revised. The rest will be additions from now on. *sigh* I don't guess anyone's actually reading this. Please, you don't have to review every chapter. Just tell me that you're out there! Any way, this should be done within two more chapters, three at the maximum. We have to deal with Q and the council, as well as the implications of what that other Q has done in DBZ-verse.  
  
See ya next time! 


	9. New Rules

Disclaimer: They're not mine, I tell you! They aren't making me any money!  
  
A/N: For my purposes, the one year limit on bringing people back doesn't exist.  
  
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CHAPTER 9: NEW RULES  
  
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After about a week with the two new additions to the ship's population, things were starting to find some semblance of normality. Rose had resumed her duties as a Security officer, which during peaceful times usually just meant taking her shift at Tactical and training with other Security officers. She had started teaching some of the more capable ones bits and pieces of the Saiyan fighting style, giving them something to focus on other than being bored, and she had decided to try and teach Tuvok how to control his ki. Trunks could usually be found in their quarters sifting through the ship's library, wanting to learn all he could of his wife's people and other Federation cultures. He was fascinated by the diversity of life in this galaxy, and found that the spirit of exploration that was the base of Starfleet's philosophy was infectious, to him at least.  
  
Ben's friendship with B`Elanna solidified once he got over his crush, and they were regularly in the holodeck, taking the Klingon's training programs to their limits. She liked the idea of increasing the gravity to add resistance, and she managed simulate up to 50G, though she herself could go no higher than five. Fifty wasn't a lot for Ben, but with the characters in the simulation not being affected at all by the gravity, they were tougher opponents for him.  
  
Of course, things couldn't stay so calm. One minute the ship's population were just going about their routines, and the next they were all enveloped in a bright flash of light. When it dissipated, Janeway, on the bridge, barked, "Report!"  
  
Ensign Kim said, "Nothing on sensors."  
  
Tuvok was next. "No damage and no casualties reported on any deck. All ship systems functioning normally."  
  
Paris said, "We've changed position somehow. We're in orbit of an M-class planet, The computer can't seem to pick up our coordinates."  
  
xxx  
  
Rose felt it barely a moment before she saw the flash, and she knew that ki signature well enough now to recognize it in a coma! She touched her comn badge. "Briefs to Captain Janeway."  
  
"Go ahead, Ensign."  
  
"Captain, I felt a presence just before the flash. It was Q. I don't know what's going on, but he's certainly involved up to his neck!"  
  
"Understood. Meet Commander Chakotay in the transporter room. I want you to see what you can find out on the planet."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," and she turned to the door of her quarters. As she walked out of the room, Trunks came around the corner. He knew that she had to do what she was ordered, but he didn't like the idea of her going down there without him, especially not knowing what they were going to find. He said as much. "Don't worry, love. There's nothing likely to be a problem, and if there is, then I'm sure the captain will let you beam down, but until that time, you can't get involved. This is my job, Trunks."  
  
He embraced her tightly for a moment. "I know. I'm just worried. Be careful, okay? And give a shout if you need me."  
  
She kissed him lightly and said, "I will." Then she took off down the corridor for the turbo lift.  
  
xxx  
  
As luck would have it, they beamed down in a location that was very familiar to her. She turned around and saw a dome-shaped building. Capsule Corporation Headquarters, the old building that had been nearly destroyed by the androids so many years ago. It had been rebuilt during the reconstruction period and had served as the center for all the rebuilding efforts until they were complete. It was also the home of her mother-in-law.  
  
Chakotay noticed that Ensign Briefs recognized their surroundings and made the connection quickly. He said, "Ensign?"  
  
She turned her head to face him. "Yes, sir. Q must have transported the ship into Trunks dimension. This is Bulma Briefs' home and the headquarters for her company, the best miniaturization based firm in the world. The competition is decades behind CC. Let's go in. He could have put us down in any time frame, but we'll be able to tell from in there."  
  
The first officer nodded and they walked up to the front door. Rose noticed that there was a newspaper on the porch and picked it up, looking for the date. She nearly dropped it. It hadn't even been a day! Bulma was probably still at the check-in station with Vegeta! She was well aware that those two wouldn't separate until it was absolutely necessary, so she wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Rose grinned. Bulma wouldn't mind if she let her crew mates into the house. It wasn't like they could do the kind of damage that a Saiyan could and she was used to that.  
  
Chakotay touched his comn badge. "Away team to Voyager."  
  
The captain's voice said, "Go ahead, Commander."  
  
"It seems that Q brought us into the same dimension that he sent Ensign Briefs to. We're sitting in her mother-in-law's living room and not even a day has passed."  
  
"Well then, it would appear to be his move. Is Mrs. Briefs available to talk?"  
  
Rose grinned. "No, Captain. She's still at the check-in station. She and Vegeta haven't seen each other since he died, so I imagine they're making up for lost time." She looked over at the clock. "It's only been about five hours. She'll likely be back tomorrow. Captain, we're going to need to be careful. Darijan is either still unconscious on my front lawn, or he'll be looking for Trunks. Also, if the rules of Q's bet have been changed sufficient to allow him to bring the entire ship and crew here, then the other might have the ability to bring back anyone he wants from the Otherworld, and there are some very nasty people in the HFIL. Frieza, the androids, Cell, along with any number of historical evils and creatures from all over this universe could be brought back. In fact, I wouldn't want to meet most of the Saiyan race if I had a choice in the matter. The entire race were pirates for centuries."  
  
An amused voice that none of them recognized came from behind them. "That's right, we were, but I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."  
  
Rose whipped around. There in the doorway were three figures. One was Bulma, one was Goku, and the other was-- "Vegeta!" He stood there in his tattered, ancient Saiyan armor, cracked in places and filthy with dried blood, his hair and features reminding her forcefully of her son, though his hairline was much higher and his face much older. The Saiyan had his arms around his bond-mate as though he would never let her go, and even Rose, who had never met him, could tell that he had changed drastically during his time in Hell.  
  
There was a flash of light in the kitchen, which was open to the rest of the house. Q said, "Well I imagine you've guessed by now that there's a lot going on. The council has decided to give us one last chance at this bet, but the rules had to be changed. Both of us were given a few concessions. The Otherworld was opened to both of us, but we were only allowed to take three people. I grabbed Vegeta and Goku, but I don't know who else to get. As for him, Darijan counts as one of his group, so he can only take two more. Voyager was allowed to come in to add some spice to the mix."  
  
Chakotay said, "Any more rules that we should know about?"  
  
"Neither of us is allowed to interfere, and neither is anyone else. If they do, the game becomes null and any injured parties will be returned to their original state of health. We aren't allowed to see who the other is bringing back from the dead. And we have to follow the rules of this dimension. We can't change anything once things are set up."  
  
Rose spoke up. "Well it seems as fair as they could make it. Did you have any idea who you want to bring back as your third person?"  
  
"None at all."  
  
Vegeta, who Bulma had made to sit on the couch and who wasn't protesting in the least with her sitting on his lap, said, "I would suggest either Kakkarot's brat or the Namek."  
  
Bulma looked at him sourly. "Translation: either Gohan or Piccolo. I'd go with Piccolo, since with the Dragonballs we'd get Gohan, too."   
  
Goku said, "Yeah, and then over time we could get everyone back!"  
  
Rose raised an eyebrow. "But I thought that you couldn't wish a person back more than once. Most of those guys have already been wished back."  
  
Bulma said, "With the Earth dragonballs, yes, but not with the Namekian ones. Porunga can bring people back as many times as he wants to. All we'd have to do is wish someone to the new Planet Namek and gather the dragonballs there. He can only do one per wish, but it would just take a little time. Their year is about a third of ours, so within one Earth year of getting to Namek, we'd have everyone back!"  
  
xxx  
  
Trunks had gone to the bridge, wanting to hear what was going on. As he listened to the conversations, he grinned. This was great! There would probably be problems in the near future, but they were going to get everyone back! Well if Q agreed, that is.  
  
Over the comn system, the entity could be heard to say, "Very well." Trunks grin widened.  
  
"Captain, I should get my son and go down there. If the other Q is making as good choices in resurrecting enemies as we are in friends, then we are going to have major problems before too long. We'll probably need every fighter we can get down there."  
  
Janeway looked at him. "I can't send you any people, you understand. That would..."  
  
Trunks interrupted her. "No, Captain. I wouldn't want any fighters who can't control their ki to even attempt to get into this fight. The kind of battle we're talking about here could destroy a planet easily! That's another reason that we need the dragonballs. If things go south, we can fix it."  
  
Tuvok said, "What are these dragonballs, and why do you need this person, Piccolo to use them?"  
  
"Piccolo is one half of another Namek named Kami, who was the guardian of the Earth. One cannot exist without the other, so if Q brings back Piccolo, he is also bringing back Kami. Kami created the dragonballs, so when Piccolo was killed by the androids, taking Kami with him, the dragonballs became worthless round stones. When he comes back they'll be active again. Now, what they do is, when you have collected all seven, you can summon the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, who will then grant one wish, as long as it doesn't take more power than Kami can give. He can bring great numbers of people from the dead, but he will only grant a specific wish once. That's why we'll have to go to Namek. We'll have to bring back those who have already been wished back once with the Namekian balls since Porunga, the Namekian Dragon, can wish people back as many times as he wants. But he can only do one at a time, so it would take a while. He will grant three wishes instead of just one, and Namek's year is shorter than Earth's by quite a bit, but it's still a long time."  
  
Trunks left the bridge for the turbolift and headed for Ben's quarters. He wasn't there, so he went to the nearest wall console and hit the comn button. "Computer, where is Benjamin Briefs?"  
  
"Benjamin Briefs is in Holodeck 3."  
  
It didn't take him long to get there. He moved to enter the holodeck and the computer said, "Warning: increased gravity simulation in progress. Training program BVB3 running at 50 times Earth gravity, character safeties off."  
  
"Understood." At Trunks' acknowledgment, the doors slid open. Instantly, the Saiyan was plunged into a jungle. The weight increase was negligible to him, but he could see how it would add at least some challenge to the exercise. Trunks easily found his son's ki and followed it to the sounds of battle. Fifteen massive warriors of some armor-skinned race were trying their damnedest to land a punch on the young man before them, but they were not fast enough. Trunks called out to his son to get his attention.  
  
"Yeah, Dad?" Even that distraction was not enough to cause the boy to lose ground to the holographic warriors.  
  
"We've got a problem. Q's brought us back home, and the rules of his little game have changed." Quickly, Trunks outlined the new developments to his son. "We need to get down there, just in case the other guy is making good choices."  
  
Ben nodded, ducking another well-aimed blow from one of the simulated warriors. "Yeah. He could bring back the androids."  
  
Trunks shrugged. "Them, I can handle. There are other things that could go wrong, though. Remember about three years ago when my alter ego showed up from the other time-line?"  
  
"Yeah, he said he had to warn you about something, but I didn't catch the whole conversation." He snorted. "Mom made me go inside."  
  
"He was there to warn me about a wizard named Babidi who would come to Earth and revive an ancient evil named Buu. With the warning, I was able to take out Babidi before he could do anything, but if the other Q were to bring him back, we could have a big problem on our hands. Very big." Trunks knew that it would be very difficult for him to defeat such a creature. Buu had been able to take full on assaults from men whose power far exceeded his own.  
  
xxx  
  
Listening silently, his energy pattern masked, a Q grinned. He knew what to do now. Cell, who had tracked down the androids in Hell and absorbed them, was now in his perfect form. The creature was annoying in his superior attitude, but he could be dealt with. Now he knew whom to choose as his third player. The wizard Babidi.  
  
xxx  
  
AN: Chapter nine, finally here! Sorry about the time length. It has been a long time since I've worked in the DBZ universe, but I'm back, at least for a little while. I intend to finish some of the things I've left undone, this story being one of them, as well as my Valdemar X-over. 


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